Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:34 pm Post subject: Best kind of paint to use in a theme park?

Hi,
This might be a wacky place to ask this question, but I work in a small children's theme park, and we are in the process of restoring many of our old sets and figures. Does anyone know what is the best kind of paint to use in a such a high traffic setting? Or does anyone know where I can find this information? Our main concern is finding something durable that will withstand weather and children climbing all over it.

I don't know what they use normally, but I worked on towers one summer (with repeater antennas, dishes, LORAN, beacons...) and one tower that we painted was done with asphalt paint. It is what is used for the lines on the streets and curbs, to hold up to what they need to, and last a long time.
It is a huge mess to work with, and no one will rent a sprayer to you, because it gets too clogged up, since the paint is so thick. If you do use one, it has to be cleaned out every couple of minutes.
(The tower was up above Glendale, CA and the city council wanted the tower to be painted "sky blue" to environmentally blend in better. It rarely blends in!)

exterior. A lot of the things we're dealing with are sculptures made of concrete and fiberglass, wood and concrete playsets, carousels, wood signage. [url]http://fairyland.org/plan_your_visit/storybook_sets.htm[/url] there are some photos off of our website to give an idea of what we're restoring.

Vivid FX
A high quality special effects paint that combines brilliant fluorescence, and one coat coverage and opacity into one remarkable paint formulation.

ClearColour
Rosco has reformulated its unique ClearColour system. When viewed under incandescent light it is completely invisible yet, under the flood of ultraviolet light these fluorescent colors come to life.

RoscoGlo
A phosphorescent paint designed for use in total darkness for stage direction and visual orientation.

Can't you use automotive paint on fiberglass? I think that's what they use when they fabricate. Depending on what they application is, you may be able to use stains for wood and cement... The companies who make these things should know if they are safe for playgrounds. Playground benches and some other pieces tend to use a thick rubber coating, but I can't remember who manufactures that at the moment. You may also be able to use a powder-coat outdoors... I think those are pretty durable. If the company that originally made the signage, buildings and sculpts is still around, you may be able to ask them what they used and how you should go about re-furbishing their work... If not, you may be able to e-mail a few themed fabrication companies and let them know you are on a small budget and see if they can recommend products off-hand...

I meant to mention this but while I was at IAAPA in November, I was able to speak with a company that specializes in outdoor paint for theme park attractions. The company is www.modernmastersinc.com. They've got some pretty great colors, so check it out!!